TRIO'S BETRAYAL KNOCKS PUBLIC'S PRECIOUS TRUST DOWN ANOTHER NOTCH

Hey, isn't it supposed to be the politicians who get caught stealing money?

And the priests who get accused of misbehavior with boys?

Well, that's not how it goes in Palm Beach County.

In a dizzying couple of days last week, we were hit with back-to-back shockers:

Two priests from St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Delray Beach stood accused of stealing millions of dollars from collection plates over four decades -- money that parishioners had taken out of their pockets and intended for widows and orphans and good works -- and spending it on condos, gambling trips, girlfriends and other pleasures not usually associated with the priestly life.

And while that was just sinking in, six-term U.S. Rep. Mark Foley abruptly announced his resignation, one day after the emergence of some creepy-sounding e-mails he had sent last year to a 16-year-old congressional page.

Until that moment, the Republican from Fort Pierce looked like a shoo-in for re-election.

And for 24 hours, his camp tried damage-control, accusing Democratic challenger Tim Mahoney of releasing the e-mails (which Mahoney denied) and saying there was nothing inappropriate about them. Which, in any other context but politics, would seem like contradictory statements.

But the teenager sure thought something was strange about receiving messages from a man in his 50s who wanted to know, "... what do you want for your birthday coming up ..." and "send me a pic of you as well ..."

The kid, unnamed in news reports, was so jarred that he wrote to an associate on Capitol Hill: "Maybe it is just me being paranoid, but seriously. This freaked me out."

Within hours, ABC News reported on text messages from "several" teenage pages who said they'd received them from Foley, calling himself Maf54.

In the printable excerpts, Maf54 says things like, "Strip down and get relaxed" and "Do I make you horny?"

This, from a legislator who took a conspicuous interest in protecting children from sex abuse. Who chaired the Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus.

Who once called for the shutdown of a teen nudist camp because it sounded dangerous to children -- though in 11 years there'd never been any complaints.

Who was first elected to House in the wave of Republicans who rode Newt Gingrich's conservative "Contract With America."

You remember that 1994 document, the one that promised a Congress that would "make us all proud again of the way a free people governs themselves" and gave us the spectacle of impeaching a president over a sexual affair. And made a priority of "stronger child pornography laws," especially those involving the Internet.

That was Foley, virtuous and vigorous defender of the public morals.

Just as virtuous as, say, Monsignor John Skehan, the retired spiritual leader who shepherded St. Vincent's growth to a thriving, 3,000-member parish.

"You couldn't get a better pastor than Father Skehan," longtime church member Simon Barnes, 78, told a reporter Thursday. "I've seen very few measure up to Father Skehan."

Yet starting in 1963, Skehan was skimming money from the collection plate, authorities say, and didn't quit until he retired in 2002. Then his replacement, the Rev. Francis Guinan took over both the pulpit and the pilfering. Guinan left in September 2005, when, at long last, authorities launched an audit.

Over the years, police say, the take totaled $8.6 million.

It was too much for parishioners to believe. Too great a betrayal.

A few people close to the priests, however, were in on the secret, authorities said. They said nothing. Such was the power of a payoff, or of belief in the inherent incorruptibility of a cleric's robes.

Hundreds of people in Delray Beach were ripped off by these two men in collars. Their crimes are made worse by preying on people's faith. They perverted people's idealism for their own selfish ends.

Foley, so far as we know, has hurt no one but himself. But his downfall adds to the public cynicism over politicians -- a cynicism we can ill afford. We don't need more people tuning out of politics.

As a community, we have been let down by men whom many of us trusted. Whose offices we are prone to respect.

This is going to hurt for a while.

Howard Goodman can be reached at hgoodman@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6638.